These were people’s opinions regarding mundane issues, like whether coffee is better than tea. Each time we share our opinions and knowledge, it is with the intention of having an impact on others. So I set out to test whether information alters people’s beliefs. Instead, our desires are what shape our beliefs; our need for agency, our craving to be right, a longing to feel part of a group. The Influential Mind by Tali Sharot is published by Little, Brown on 31 August, £18.99.

Source: The Guardian August 27, 2017 04:52 UTC